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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28120836">A Perfect Storm Approaching</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breadcrumbs1783/pseuds/Breadcrumbs1783'>Breadcrumbs1783</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Devil May Cry, RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crossover, Devil May Cry 5 Vergil, Fights, Gen, Post-Volume 4 (RWBY)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 12:15:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,578</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28120836</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breadcrumbs1783/pseuds/Breadcrumbs1783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What seemed like a routine raid for Raven turns into a fight for her life as she clashes with a mysterious stranger.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Perfect Storm Approaching</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello there! This is my first time posting work on Ao3. Here is a fun little prelude for a DMC X RWBY fanart that I collaborated with a Loustica on Twitter. I'll post the link below. I hope you enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Perfect Storm Approaching</p><p> </p><p>The leaves rustled and cracked under Raven’s feet as she waded through the forest. Wild bushes and long grasses hid her from sight, and she moved with stealth honed over years of training. The only source of illumination that could expose her location were the rays of moonlight peeking through the treetops above. With any luck, she could complete her recon without much incident. All that was left was to see if the main road to Shion was guarded.</p><p>She had already canvassed the surrounding forest the night before. From what she could gather, the guards hugged close to the village. This was a good sign. It showed that the village was more concerned with Grimm attacks, and not coordinated bandit raids. If they had spread out more, they’d most likely would have noticed the make-shift camp Raven’s group had set up in a nearby clearing. For the settlement itself, it had the usual trademarks of a frontier town. Small houses, hastily made pathways, and most importantly, no defensive walls. Raven sneered at the image. If her group hadn’t had gotten to them first, then the Grimm would have destroyed Shion soon enough. She was only accelerating their demise.</p><p>After a few more minutes of trudging through the forest, Raven arrived at the main road towards Shion. She crouched beneath the thicket, and surveyed the area. Some were footprints imprinted on the gravel road, but they seemed to be created earlier in the day. Raven bounced her eyes up and down the road, searching for signs of movement. After a few moments, she came to the conclusion that no one was patrolling this area. Raven smirked and said to herself, “Looks like we’re going for plan–”</p><p>The faint crunch of gravel interrupted her musing. Raven crouched down even lower and placed one hand on Omen. Her eyes drifted towards the disturbance. Around a mile away, a brown dot traveled up the road. It didn’t look like any guard uniform Raven had ever seen. As the figure approached, she saw that he wore a brown cloak over his body, his face obscured by a hood. What was most striking to Raven, however, was his strut. His movements were controlled, precise, and measured. Every step he took seemed calculated, every sway of his body planned. It wasn’t that the man seemed robotic, no. It was as if he had full control over every facet of his being. Raven gritted her teeth and felt a bead of sweat ran down her forehead.</p><p>Eventually, the man approached within yards of Raven. She crouched even further down as if she was trying to merge with the forest floor, and unsheathed Omen, careful not to scrap the blade against the scabbard. One moment, that’s all it would take it to end this encounter. She just needed one moment.</p><p>“If you value your life, I recommend lowering your weapon.”</p><p>Raven’s body froze. It was as if she had been walloped on the head just by mere words.</p><p>“Come out now. I know where you are,” the man said.</p><p>The man’s voice was dominating and proud as if it demanded the attention of any who heard it. Raven pursed her lips and stood up. She walked out of the thicket and stationed herself in front of the hooded man. At a glance, he carried no weapons. However, Raven still felt a chill down her neck just looking at the stranger. She mustered up all the false bravado she had, pointed Omen at the stranger, and said, “Most would turn and run if they knew danger awaited them. What makes you so confident that you can keep moving forward?”</p><p>Although the figure’s eyes were covered by the hood, Raven still felt them crawl up and down her body. He raised his hand and said, “Cretins like you do not scare me. Those who cling to the shadows and strike when their opponent is ill-prepared are not to be feared but scorned. You’re not worth my time. Move, and I’ll allow you to live.”</p><p>The man’s inflection on his last words sounded less like a threat, and more like a statement. The man was unarmed, unarmored, and all alone. A slice to the neck from Omen would end this encounter in an instant. However, Raven’s limbs refused to budge. It was as if her muscles felt were in knots, constraining and protesting at every movement Raven made. Every instinct in Raven’s body told her to run away, to escape whatever horrors this stranger would bring upon her. Instead, all Raven did was step aside, and gesture for the man to go forward. The man nodded and continued to walk along the road towards Shion. Raven stood there, willing her body not to shake. After making sure the man was a good distance away, Raven cut through the air and summoned a portal. She gave one last glance to the man, who once again resembled a brown dot on the far side of the road, and stepped inside.</p><p>Raven stepped out of the portal next to Vernal, who leaned against a tree. Vernal greeted her leader with a slight nod, and Raven returned the gesture. The two women stood at the edge of a forest clearing, where raggedy, stained tents dotted the area. There, she saw her men, around thirty in number, gathered in small groups. Some were sharpening their blades with makeshift whetstones by pitiful campfires, while others checked their guns and stocked up on ammunition at a tent larger than the others. There was a certain excitement in the air before a raid that permeated the party. She heard a guttural lurch off from inside the woods, most likely a newbie throwing up out of first-raid jitters. To her right, she heard a loud and boisterous voice proclaim that he would go for five heads this time, perhaps even ten, while a shrill squawk from a woman next to him called his bluff. It seemed as if everyone was prepared.</p><p>Raven her way to a large, misshaped rock at the center of camp, elevated herself upon it. shouted, “Everyone, listen up!”</p><p>Immediately, the chatter, the scraping of swords, all the commotion stopped at the sound of Raven’s voice. The bandits circled around Raven’s perch and stood at attention.</p><p>Raven put her hands behind her back and said, “There are no overt security threats on the outside of the village. It looks like all the guards are all holed up inside the village. Apparently, they think the Grimm are the ones they should be worried about. We’re about to prove them wrong.”</p><p>The group cackled in delight and brandished their weapons in the air.</p><p>“We will go with Plan A,” Raven said. She turned her head to Vernal and asked, “Have you brought the flame rounds?”</p><p>Vernal nodded. “Passed them out right before you came back. Everyone should have at least one round.”</p><p>Raven tilted her head in acknowledgment and turned her attention back to the party. “We’re going to go in quick and efficiently. I don’t want any long engagements with the guards or for backup to come. We run in, get as many supplies as we can, and get out. Roberts, where are the wagons located?”</p><p>A large, bald man with a black beard stepped forward and said, “To the east of the village, Raven. Marckel and Dawson are stationed and ready to go at the signal.”</p><p>“Good,” Raven said. “Any loot you lot gather, take them to the east entrance of Shion and load them on the wagon. Grab anything you can. Food, guns, jewelry, gold. Hell, you can even grab a person or two for some ransom money. Just make sure they're wearing nice clothing. We want families that’ll actually pony up the dough, not just beg.”</p><p>An image of the hooded man flashed across her mind. A sensation of fear shivered up her spine, but she suppressed any outward signs.</p><p>“One more thing,” Raven said. “I saw a huntsman on his way to Shion coming from the main road. If you see him during the raid, you know what to do. Send up a flare, and I’ll deal with it. The most you lot will do is drain his ammo and dull his sword.”</p><p>Raven looked at her men. Each one of them wore different expressions. Some of their eyes were wide open, their pupils shaking from fear. Others were stoned faced and ready for war, their resolve hardened over years of pillaging. For the past few months, Raven had not lost a single bandit to guards nor Grimm, and she had no intention in breaking that streak tonight.</p><p>Raven unsheathed her blade and raised it high in the air.</p><p>“We march!” she shouted.</p><p>Her men let loose a cacophony of war cries and ran out of the clearing towards the village, their thundering footsteps a warning to all those who might cross their path. Raven leapt from the rock, soared through the air, and joined the raiding party from the front. She sprinted forward with her blade outstretched and at the ready.</p><p>As soon as the raiding party broke out of the forest and saw the village, Raven screamed, “Bring the fire!”</p><p>Clicks from a multitude of guns emerged as the men brought forth their makeshift rifles and pistols, loaded in a dust round, and took aim at the village. Raven thrusted Omen at the village, and at her command, they fired. Raven heard the whiz and buzz of crimson bullets flying through the air as they traveled towards the village. In an instant, tongues of the flames licked the settlement, stretching across building after building. Screams from the villagers pierced the night sky.</p><p>“Show them no mercy,” Raven seethed through her teeth.</p><p>The raiders howled with vicious delight and, with Raven leading the charge once more, rushed towards the village.</p><p>As Raven entered Shion, smoke, ash, and mountains of flames engulfed all she could see. The large, once-evergreen spindly trees stationed at the corner of each street now sang a song of death as the fire that consumed them bellowed a horrific roar. Some villagers were trying to extinguish the flames with pails of water. Others were in the midst of gathering family members. But more importantly, there were some that grasped valuables in their arms as they scurried away from the flames.</p><p>“Bandits! There are bandits here!”</p><p>Raven looked to her right and saw four guards rushing down the street, their swords drawn and at the ready. She readied her blade and barked to Vernal, “Start the looting! I’ll handle the guards.”</p><p>Raven lunged forward, and in a flash, met the guards mid-way. She thrust Omen through the throat of the first guard, pulled her blade out, and sliced the leg of the companion next to him. Both of the guards collapsed, with one screaming in pain as he clutched his leg. In the corner of her eye, she saw a short sword sail towards her head from the right. She ducked underneath the blow, sheathed Omen, and in a flurry faster than the eye could see, sliced off her aggressor’s arms. A fountain of blood burst forth from the guard’s stumps as he wailed to the sky before collapsing. Raven whirled around and spotted her last opponent. He brought his sword in front of himself, but his blade refused to stay still as it wavered in the air, his eyes filled with fear, tears brimming at its borders. She heard the pained moan from the guard with the cut leg below her. She looked at the remaining guard in the eyes, twirled her blade, and plunged it into the one below. The lone guard dropped his sword and screamed.</p><p>“O-Oh gods! Please don’t kill me! Please don’t–”</p><p>Before the guard could finish his plea, Raven dashed forward and cleaved through the man. First, his upper half plopped down onto the ground, with his bottom half soon following after. Raven flicked the remaining blood off Omen and sheathed it.</p><p>“Should have just ran away,” muttered Raven. She looked up and down the street and found no other opposition. It was a reassuring sign. Most guards around these parts knew it was better to turn tail once they knew it was her party. Even with the lack of guards, however, she couldn’t shake a feeling of dread that burrowed in her stomach. The stranger hadn’t made an appearance yet.</p><p>She leaped on top of the roof of a tall building to her left, crossed her arms, and surveyed the unfolding chaos. She saw her raiders going from house to house, breaking down doors and leaving with arms full of loot. She heard the screams and wailing of the villagers as they tried to escape the inferno, along with the guffaws of the bandits as they reveled in the madness. Underneath her mask, Raven scowled. Her men were enjoying themselves a bit too much tonight.</p><p>A new, visceral sound interrupted Raven’s thoughts. Raven saw a bright white flare whistle up into the air and explode. Raven furrowed her brow at the sign. It came from the east side of the village, where the wagons were supposed to be.</p><p>“Found you,” Raven hissed. She jumped from rooftop to rooftop traveling east towards the commotion, dodging whips of flames that smacked against the buildings. Mid-way through her approach, she heard the clang of blades meeting reverberate through the air. Faint grunts, gasps, and cries of agony crashed against her ears. The pit in her stomach burrowed even deeper once she realized that she recognized some of those voices. Then, there was silence. Raven doubled her speed and gripped Omen’s handle. She jumped down from the rooftop and landed on the east entrance street.</p><p>“Marckel, Dawson, give me an updat–”</p><p>Raven’s blood froze at the sight that laid out before her. Around twenty bodies were laid out all over the street. Limbs were cut off, heads detached, and puncture wounds dotted the corpses. Some of the bodies weren’t even recognizable as human. What made Raven’s skin crawl, however, was the fact that every single one of the corpses was one of her bandits. Their loot sprawled out from their arms, trinkets, and bobbles rolled around in the ever-growing pools of blood. Raven stepped back from the scene and felt her hands start shaking.</p><p>“R-Raven.”</p><p>Raven whirled her head around to locate the source of the voice. It was faint and fading fast. Raven walked over to one of the bodies slumped up against a building and knelt down. Her heart skipped a beat when she recognized the hazel hair.</p><p>“Vernal…” Raven whispered. Her lieutenant had a single, thin cut that spread across her chest. On closer inspection, however, Raven found that the wound went deep into her body like a malnourished valley of gore. She looked at the other bodies on the street, and even at a glance, she found similar marks.</p><p>“Who did this to you?” Raven said as she lifted up Vernal head.</p><p>Vernal hacked up some splotches of blood and eked out, “H-he was nothing we had ever seen before. His sword cut our men to ribbons before we had a chance to even blink. He-he was a monster, a demon even. And all the while, he didn’t even seem like he was trying to. He was toying with us.”</p><p>Vernal violently coughed out more fluids and leaned her head back onto the wall. The color in her eyes became more muted as she said, “He was asked where you were, Raven. He wanted….. You.”</p><p>Vernal’s head slumped over as her last words flowed out her mouth. The claws of grief tore at Raven’s soul as she stared at the body, but she batted them away. There would be time for mourning later, but not now. With the gentleness of a mother consoling her child to sleep, Raven closed Vernal’s eyes.</p><p>Raven stood up and curled her fists. “It must be him,” she said. The man in the cloak.</p><p>“Get away from me! Get away! Get a wa–”</p><p>The plea was cut short by a guttural yelp. Raven turned her head towards the cry. It sounded like it was only a few blocks away, towards the center of the village. Raven narrowed her eyes and clutched Omen with a fury she hadn’t felt in years. She dashed through the streets and alleyways, her appearance akin to a black and red blur. She arrived at the edge of the town square and stopped. In the middle of the square, surrounded by ten bodies, was the man in a cloak. He held a sheath in his left hand, and an odachi in his right. The blade was spattered with blood and shined with a sparkle reserved for the stars above. He stood at ease, relaxed even. His posture was one of confidence, bordering on arrogance. If not for the fact that her men littered the ground around the stranger, Raven would have thought he was in some sort of shock. For some reason, an unexplainable feeling of awe washed over Raven, as if it was a gift to be in the man’s presence. However, it was soon replaced by unfettered rage.</p><p>Raven, with one hand still grasping Omen’s handle, marched towards the man and growled, “You got a lot of guts to kill my men. Who the hell do you think you are?”</p><p>The man lifted his head up, and Raven caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were blue, but not any sort of blue Raven had ever seen before. They were mystical, almost otherworldly. The wrinkles and creases around the eyes told a story of a hard life, one full of strife and battle.</p><p>The man let out a small chuckle and said, “You must be Raven Branwen, correct?” Each word that seeped out of his mouth was swamped with haughtiness and pride.</p><p>Raven glared at the man and said, “I am. And those newly created corpses you made were my men.” She gestured to the slaughter across the square.</p><p>The man smirked and said, “At first, I didn’t recognize you on the road beforehand. I thought you were just some lowlife. A harmless bandit who was in way over her head. But then I saw the wanted posters in town, and I knew I had come across something special.”</p><p>“So, you’re looking for me,” Raven said as she circled around the man. “What kind of huntsmen are you? A bounty hunter?”</p><p>“In a sense, yes.” said the man. “I am a hunter only, my target isn’t the prey, it’s the predators. The ones who stand above all the others. The ones with power.”</p><p>Before the man could get another word in, Raven lunged at his back, ready to skewer him with Omen. She was met with a sudden clang of steel, however, as the man turned around and deflected the attack with his sword. The force of the blow was intense, sending shockwaves up Raven’s arm as stumbled back a few steps and readied herself for the next attack.</p><p>“You lowlifes are so predictable,” said the man, his lips curling in disgust. “You go for the most obvious weak points, too foolish to comprehend that your opponent has let you see their weakness. I expect that behavior from that filth you lead, not from the so-called strongest warrior in all of the land.”</p><p>The man sheathed his blade and said, “What a disappointment.”</p><p>He then turned away from Raven and started to walk away.</p><p>Raven’s whole body simmered with fury at the transgression, and her eyes flared with power.</p><p>“We’re not through just yet!” Raven yelled as she dashed towards the man for another strike. This time, as the man whipped around to deflect the attack, Raven jumped over him, twisted herself around, and landed a slash upon his back, knocking the man forward a few steps. Silence permeated the square as Raven awaited his attack. Instead, the man touched his new wound with his left hand and let out a laugh, it’s tone as cutting as their blades.</p><p>“Well,” he said. “Now I’m motivated.”</p><p>The man tore off his brown cloak, threw it in the air, and faced Raven. The man’s full appearance was one of regality, of something Raven would only imagine of in stories. He wore a long dark azure coat, a buttoned-up navy blue vest, black pants, and teal-accented boots. His skin was pale, yet luminescent in a sense as if the man did not belong in this world. His hair was snow white and slicked all the way back. All the while, the man’s sapphire eyes trained themselves on Raven.</p><p>“Before we start, Branwen, I shall gift you my name,” the man said. He unsheathed his blade and pointed it at Raven. “My name is Vergil. While this world is strange and foreign to me, all shall soon know the power of a Son of Sparda. Prepare yourself, Raven. You’re about to become the first in the long line of warriors to feel the Yamato’s blade.”</p><p>Raven grasped Omen with both hands, gripped it with all of her might, and growled. “You talk big for a walking corpse. Once I kill you, I’ll mount your head on a pike. Get ready to die.”</p><p>She stepped back a half-foot, entered a stance, and waited. Then, at the same time, the two titans clashed.</p>
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